Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search


Español  Other Languages


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC twenty four seven. Saving Lives, Protecting People
 Search

		Submit


Tuberculosis (TB)








Dear Colleague Letters										Related Pages
										Return to Main Menu
A Letter from Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, CDC Director, on World Tuberculosis Day
March 24, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day acknowledges the impact of TB around the world and the progress made against this disease. TB is preventable and treatable, yet it remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, taking the lives of 4,300 people each day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working in the United States and around the world to prevent, detect, and cure TB and to raise awareness of challenges that continue to impede our progress toward eliminating this devastating disease.
Globally, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a profound effect on TB diagnosis and treatment. Available data show there were more than a million fewer new TB diagnoses in 2020 than in 2019, more than likely due to missed or delayed diagnoses. In 2021, there was only a slight increase in diagnoses, raising concerns that more people are living with undiagnosed and untreated TB. This concern is further supported by the increase seen in the estimated number of deaths from TB in 2021—1.6 million people died of TB that year—reversing years of progress.
In 2022, 8,300 TB cases were reported in the United States, compared with 7,874 cases reported in 2021. TB incidence also increased slightly in 2022 (2.5 cases per 100,000 persons). Reported TB cases and TB incidence in the United States are returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to new preliminary data released by CDC, following a substantial decline in 2020, likely due to factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic including missed or delayed diagnoses. Timely diagnosis and treatment of both active TB disease and latent TB infection are critical steps to eliminating TB in the United States.
CDC and its partners are using innovative solutions to expand TB screening and treatment activities and address persistent inequities. CDC’s *Think. Test. Treat TB* campaign encourages healthcare providers to test for and treat latent TB infection with an emphasis on reaching populations most at risk in the United States. Partners such as the state and local TB programs and other organizations work with CDC to increase knowledge, testing, and treatment of TB and reduce health disparities. New CDC recommendations for the use of video Directly Observed Therapy (vDOT) can help TB programs reduce time and costs for patients and providers, enabling greater flexibility during treatment.
Our work to eliminate TB extends globally, with a focus on countries with high rates of TB, drug-resistant TB, and HIV-associated TB. For example, in Mumbai, India, a municipality with one of the highest burdens of drug-resistant TB in the world, CDC and its partners developed comprehensive, person-centered interventions, including adherence support, adverse event monitoring, and migration linkage to improve treatment outcomes in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum where historically less than half of people diagnosed with drug-resistant TB complete treatment. As a result of CDC-supported interventions, 88 percent of current drug-resistant TB patients remain on or have completed treatment as of January 2023.
Also globally, CDC is spearheading TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention efforts for those most vulnerable to the disease, particularly people with HIV, among whom TB remains the leading cause of death. As part of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) implementing partners, CDC and its collaborators screened 10.2 million people living with HIV for TB, 61 percent of all people screened through PEPFAR in 2022. CDC also supported nearly 1.8 million people with HIV to complete a course of TB preventive treatment (TPT), 63 percent of all TPT completions, through PEPFAR. Additionally, results from Uganda, highlighted in *Emerging Infectious Diseases**,*demonstrate the incredible impact of CDC and other PEPFAR implementing agencies’ work to prevent HIV-associated TB. Through strong partnerships with the Ugandan Ministry of Health, CDC and partners helped to increase TPT coverage from below one percent to 89 percent in less than six years.
While remarkable progress has been made, there is still much to do. Today, I encourage you to visit CDC’s World TB Day and Global HIV and TB websites to learn how you can help eliminate TB in your community. You can also view additional resources, testimonies from TB survivors, and success stories from domestic and global TB elimination champions.
I appreciate your steadfast efforts to eliminate TB. Together, we are creating a safer America and a safer world.

With gratitude,
Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH
Director, CDC, and
Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  March 22, 2023						Source: 	Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
					Facebook
        Twitter
        LinkedIn
        Syndicate homeTuberculosisBasic TB Factsplus iconHow TB SpreadsLatent TB Infection and TB DiseaseSigns & SymptomsTB Risk FactorsExposure to TBTB PreventionVaccinesTB & HIV CoinfectionTB and DiabetesTB TermsPersonal StoriesTesting & Diagnosisplus iconWho Should be TestedTesting for TB InfectionTesting in BCG-Vaccinated PersonsTB Screening and Testing of Health Care PersonnelTesting During PregnancyDiagnosing latent TB infection and TB diseaseTreatmentplus iconDeciding When to Treat Latent TB InfectionTreatment Regimens for Latent TB Infection (LTBI)Treatment for TB DiseaseAdverse EventsTB Treatment of Persons Living with HIVTB Treatment and PregnancyTB Treatment for ChildrenFrequently Asked QuestionsDrug-Resistant TBResearchplus iconTB Epidemiologic Studies Consortiumplus iconResearch ProjectsPublicationsTB Trials Consortiumplus iconStudy DescriptionsBackgroundBehavioral & Social Science ResearchHealth Care Settingsplus iconTB Infection Control in Health Care SettingsResources for TB Screening and Testing of Health Care Personnelplus iconFrequently Asked QuestionsTB in Specific Populationsplus iconHealth DisparitiesAsian PersonsBlack or African American PersonsHispanic or Latino PersonsChildrenPregnancyCorrectional FacilitiesPeople Experiencing HomelessnessInternational TravelersLaboratory Informationplus iconDrug Susceptibility TestingFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitInterim Laboratory Biosafety Guidance for XDR  tuberculosis strainsModel Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP)Rapid Molecular Testing to Detect Drug-Resistant TB in the USplus iconExecutive SummaryIntroductionBackground on Tests for Molecular Detection of DRGeneral Considerations and Principles for a Molecular DR Testing ServicePossible Scenarios and Scope of Testing for a Molecular DR Testing ServiceResearch NeedsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelCommunication Plan for the ReportRecommendationsReferencesPanel Members and CDC ParticipantsAppendix 1Appendix 2Appendix 3The Uses of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for the Diagnosis of TBplus iconGeneral ConsiderationsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelRecommendations to ACET, CDC, DTBEData & Statisticsplus iconTB Incidence in the United StatesReported TB in the US, 2022 Surveillance Reportplus iconNational DataReporting Area DataRisk FactorsDemographicsTB Treatment and Case OutcomesDrug-Resistant TBMolecular SurveillanceTuberculosis in the United States, 2022 (Slide Set)Archived Surveillance Reports and Slide Sets2021 State and City ReportArchived State and City ReportsProfessional Resources & Toolsplus iconTools for Healthcare ProvidersResources for TB Programsplus iconStrengthening Civil Surgeons’ Capacity to Improve LTBI Surveillance and Outcomes Among Status AdjustersNotice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)Program EvaluationTB Centers of ExcellenceTB Elimination AllianceTB Genotypingplus iconConventional TB GenotypingWhole Genome SequencingTB GIMSAnalytic ToolsLatent Tuberculosis Infection ResourcesPublications & Productsplus iconPatient and Public MaterialsFact SheetsGuidelinesplus iconControl & EliminationDrug-Resistant TBInfection Control & PreventionLaboratory & GenotypingTB & HIVTB in Specific PopulationsTesting & DiagnosisTreatmentVaccines & ImmunizationsArchived TB GuidelinesGuides & Toolkitsplus iconAggregate ReportsCDC TB Surveillance TrainingCore CurriculumEffective TB Interviewing for Contact InvestigationEthnographic GuidesFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitForging Partnerships to Eliminate TuberculosisGuide to Application of GenotypingLTBI: A Guide for Primary Health Care ProvidersMantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing ProductsReport of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT)Self-Study ModulesTB Contact Investigation Interviewing Skills CourseTB eDOT ToolkitUnderstanding the TB Cohort Review ProcessNewslettersplus iconTB Notes, No. 4, 2023TB Notes, No. 3, 2023TB Notes. No. 2, 2023TB Notes. No. 1, 2023TB Notes, No. 4, 2022TB Notes, No. 3, 2022TB Notes, No. 2, 2022TB Notes, No. 1, 2022TB Notes, No. 4, 2021TB Notes, No. 3, 2021TB Notes, No. 2, 2021TB Notes, No. 1, 2021Pamphlets, Brochures, Bookletsplus iconQuestions and AnswersPatient Education SeriesTuberculosis - Get the FactsTuberculosis - The Connection between TB and HIV12-Dose Regimen for Latent TB Infection-Patient Education BrochurePostersplus iconMantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Wall ChartWorld TB DayThink TBStop TBTake on TBReports & Articlesplus iconDTBE Authored Journal ArticlesTuberculosis Laboratory Aggregate ReportsSlide Setsplus iconIntroduction to TuberculosisEpidemiology of Tuberculosis Among Non-U.S.​–Born Persons in the United States, 1993–2016Self-Study Modules on Tuberculosis, 1-5 Slide SetsThe Tuberculosis (TB) in Correctional Settingsplus iconFacilitator GuideIntroduction to TB GenotypingEpidemiology of Tuberculosis in Correctional Facilities, United States, 1993-2017Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Correctional and Detention FacilitiesGuidelines for Preventing the Transmission of M. TB in Health care SettingsInvestigation of Contacts of Persons with Infectious TBEpidemiology of Pediatric Tuberculosis in the United StatesTargeted Tuberculosis Testing and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis InfectionElectronic Tools & ResourcesWeb-Based Courses & Webinarsplus iconTB 101 for Health Care WorkersContent SyndicationInfographicsplus iconSocial Media GraphicsCustomizable Take on TB Infographic with InstructionsEventsWorld TB Dayplus iconU.S. TB ChampionsHistoryFeaturesplus iconTB Risk FactorsTreating Latent TB Infection with Short-Course RegimensWorld Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2021World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2020Linksplus iconState TB Control OfficesAbout Usplus iconMission Statement and Activitiesplus iconDTBE Strategic PlanNational TB Program ObjectivesOrganization ChartAdvisory Groupsplus iconFederal TB Task Force To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address			What's this?				Submit


About CDC
					Contact Us
					800-232-4636
 Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat
 CONTACT CDC
				Contact Us
							Call 800-232-4636
							Email Us
			ABOUT CDC
				About CDC
							Jobs
							Funding
			POLICIES
				Accessibility
							External Links
							Privacy
							Policies
							No Fear Act
							FOIA
							OIG
							Nondiscrimination
							Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			CONNECT WITH US
				Facebook
								Twitter
								Instagram
								LinkedIn
							Youtube
								Pinterest
								Snapchat
								Email
			LANGUAGES
				Español
							繁體中文
							Tiếng Việt
							한국어
							Tagalog
							Русский
							العربية
							Kreyòl Ayisyen
							Français
							Polski
							Português
							Italiano
							Deutsch
							日本語
							فارسی
							English


U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
			Accessibility
			External Links
			Privacy
			Policies
			No Fear Act
			FOIA
			Nondiscrimination
			OIG
			Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			USA.gov


Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy Close
 Links with this icon  indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
				Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
				You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
				CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Website Disclaimers
 Cancel Continue